Yonhap News Summary

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.

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(LEAD) N. Korea warns of 'overwhelming' actions against U.S.-S. Korea military drills
(ATTN: TRIMS headline; UPDATES throughout with more details; ADDS photo)

SEOUL -- Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned Tuesday the North is ready to take "overwhelming" actions against military activities by the United States and South Korea, as its rivals are staging joint military drills involving American strategic assets.

Kim also said the North will regard any U.S. attempt to intercept a missile that it will fire as a "clear declaration of war" against the reclusive nation, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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(LEAD) S. Korea's growth sharply slows in 2022 amid recession woes: BOK's preliminary data
(ATTN: RECASTS headline; ADDS photo, more info from 5th para)

SEOUL -- South Korea's economic growth sharply slowed in 2022 as exports weakened amid growing recession woes stemming from aggressive monetary tightening at home and abroad, central bank data showed Tuesday.

South Korea's gross domestic product -- a major gauge of growth -- expanded 2.6 percent in 2022, compared with a 4.1 percent advance tallied in the previous year, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

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Private education spending up 10.8 pct in 2022

SEJONG -- Spending on private education for South Korean students shot up 10.8 percent on-year in 2022, data showed Tuesday, reflecting the country's unwavering enthusiasm for education.

Total expenditures on private education for primary, middle, and high school students amounted to 26 trillion won (US$20 billion) in 2022, soaring from 23.4 trillion won tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

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Top U.S. general may visit Seoul later this month: source

SEOUL -- South Korean and U.S. military authorities are in consultations on a possible visit to Seoul by U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley later this month, an informed source said Tuesday.

If agreed, he is likely to visit the country after the allies conclude their combined Freedom Shield exercise set to take place from next Monday through March 23, according to the source. The general previously visited Seoul in December 2021.

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(LEAD) U.S. will continue to strengthen cooperation with S. Korea, Japan: State Dept.
(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks from department spokesperson, more information from 9th para)

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to strengthen its trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan, a state department spokesperson said Monday, shortly after Seoul and Tokyo announced steps aimed at improving their bilateral ties.

Department Press Secretary Ned Price said the U.S. welcomes the "historic" steps taken by the two U.S. allies.

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S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases rebound to over 12,000 amid eased virus curbs

SEOUL -- South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rebounded to over 12,000 on Tuesday amid eased COVID-19 virus curbs, with health authorities considering further easing antivirus measures in the coming months.

The country reported 12,284 new COVID-19 infections, including 19 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,581,499, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

(END)